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Etsko Schuitema
BA Hons (Wits)

Etsko, whose family was in mining, was exposed to the inner workings of the mining industry at a young age. At the University of the Witwatersrand he completed an honours degree in Social Anthropology before joining the Chamber of Mines of South Africa Research Organisation as a graduate researcher.

His work at the Chamber was initially focused on the issue of conflict in gold mines in the final eclipse of the apartheid regime. His groundbreaking work, dealing with conflict resolution, led to the development of a framework for understanding trust in this controversial industry.

As the Head of the Chamber’s Human Resources Laboratory Industry Project in the late 1980’s he went on to examine the fundamental criteria which exist in the relationship between employer and employee. The outcome was a unique perspective on leadership which subsequently has become known as the Care and Growth Leadership Model.

The application of the model in South Africa’s gold mines met with significant success, which led Etsko and a small group of colleagues to leave the Chamber of Mines with the objective of disseminating the model more widely.

In 1989 he founded Schuitema of which he is the Managing member. Since then the Care and Growth Model has been tested in disparate contexts, in 17 countries and on 5 continents.

In every context the basic premises of the model have been vindicated. Namely, that there is a fundamental connection between the problem of organizational excellence and personal excellence and that the nature of that connection is ethical and / or moral.

Dr Michael Jordaan, CEO of one of the four dominant banks in South Africa, has referred to Etsko as “the philosopher for the 21st Century”. A colleague says “He is a compassionate and intriguing man, a singularly original thinker and a charismatic presenter who woos a crowd of 300 as easily as one of 30 or less.”

Etsko lives on a small farm in South Africa. He is married, has four children and when he has the opportunity rides his horse called Bruce. He finds some time for personal pursuits such as chanting with a group of friends.

Publications:
Intent — Ampersand Press, 2004
Leadership — Ampersand Press, 1998
Beyond Management — Southern Books, 1994 (out of print)

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Wendy Lambourne
MA Industrial and Organisation Pschology (UCT),
Registered Psychologist with SA Medical & Dental Council

Wendy’s childhood was spent on two continents. In due course she married a South African and lives in Johannesburg, but with most weekends being spent at a dwelling at the foot of the Magaliesberg hills an hour from the city.

She was a competitive swimmer, squash and hockey player before taking up long distance running. After completing the Comrades Marathon (87kms) on a day in 1987, she pursued the greater pleasure of running in the veld with her two Irish Setters.

Initially she studied law but found her real love in English Literature and Psychology. She went on to complete an MA (Industrial and Organisational Psychology), her dissertation finding an audience at an International Conference in Taiwan. In the late 1980’s she qualified as a Registered Psychologist with the South African Medical and Dental Council.

Her first job was on a research project sponsored by South African companies with the aim of advancing at work those who had been disadvantaged by the apartheid system She was then employed in the Human Resources department of what was, at the time, the biggest explosives factory in the world.

After only three years she bought a one-way ticket to India on the advice given to her that she should take her retirement in installments In the two years spent on the road primarily in Asia and the Middle East she discovered two abiding passions – mountains and the human qualities which enable different people across the world to live meaningful lives.

Back home and broke, she was engaged to set up a pioneer accelerated development programme sponsored by the Paris Chamber of Commerce in partnership with South African institutions. Launched in 1986, this programme made a significant contribution to nurturing managerial talent in South Africa for the next 15 years.

She returned to the world of explosives manufacturing, beset by productivity, quality and above all safety concerns, at the core of which was a failure in leadership. In a senior Organisational Development role within African Explosives and Chemicals ltd (AECI) she worked with leadership to transform the organization; the golden thread being Schuitema’s Care and Growth Leadership Model.

Convinced, through first hand experience of the power of the framework to enable human contribution leading to sustainable business results, she joined Schuitema and co runs the company with its founder Etsko Schuitema.

Over the last 16 years she has proven to be an internationally recognised authority on practically achieving transformation in an organization using the Care and Growth Model. A key client recently said: “Wendy embodies the values of Care and Growth of people in the workplace, her actions are invariably consistent with these values. In her extensive consultancy work with us, she has on all occasions added value to the specific issue at hand, at the same time consolidating the leadership ethos, both as a philosophy and as integral to our day to day leadership decisions.”

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Fakhir Shah — Schuitema Pakistan
Bsc Electrical Engineering, MBA Finance

As a child Fakhir read stories by the mystic Persian poet Rumi. Although unable to fully understand Rumi’s message he started relating what he had read to things happening around him. Gradually he became more reflective as he tried to understand the meaning in things happening within and outside himself.

Having a middle class background, there was family pressure to get a degree and to pursue a career in a good company. Fakhir opted for engineering, graduating in Electrical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore. However, on the sidelines, he continued his quest for understanding life by reading and sitting with Sufi masters. At the young age of 22 he was granted the authority to transmit by his Sufi master.

Initially he found professional life an enormous challenge as he tried to handle the apparent conflict between his training as a student of Sufism and the demands of a profession. Sufism had taught him to let go of outcomes and do the right thing, while the corporate world required the achievement of outcomes in the form of targets. Although he performed well in a competitive multinational business environment at the cutting edge of technology, he continued to seek a master key that could create harmony in all aspects of his life.

The answer came from a place he least expected. Within two hours of attending a two day workshop on Leadership: The Care and Growth Model facilitated by Etsko Schuitema in 2004, it became apparent that this was the master key he had been looking for all along.

Back at work he applied the Care and Growth concepts to his team in a way that led to spectacular results. Having experienced first hand the efficacy of the Care and Growth Model in a corporate context he decided to leave his career job and joined Schuitema in 2006.

Fakhir brings to Schuitema a rich experience in operations management, project management, sales and marketing management. With an MBA in finance he also has proficiency in business excellence.

He is currently Schuitema’s Managing Partner for the Middle East and Asia. He consults with Schuitema clients in Pakistan and internationally. Managers attending his workshops have found him to be very inspirational and report that he is able to offer simple but powerful solutions based on his understanding of the real issues and challenges which face them.

Fakhir lives in Lahore, a city he loves, and firmly believes that Pakistan is a land of opportunity because there is so much to contribute. He is married with three children. His areas of interest include personal excellence, the development sector, family and youth development. He is very fond of poetry and, when he gets the opportunity, to spend time idling in a park.

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Fayruz Abrahams
B.Comm (UPE), Hons Psychology (UPE),
Masters in Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Registered Psychologist with SA Medical & Dental Council

Fayruz grew up in Port Elizabeth in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Her home base is in this coastal city with her husband and two children.

Her initial degree was a B. Comm (majoring in Accounting, Business Management, Economics and Industrial Psychology) followed by an Honours Degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of Port Elizabeth.

Fayruz started her career with Middleburg Steel and Alloys as a management trainee, involved in developing market sectors in the stainless steel industry and value chain marketing.

Her business understanding was further strengthened as a Pricing Economist at Sasol and as head of the Market Research function within Bridgestone – Firestone. She was the company representative in negotiations between the tyre industry and the Department of Trade and Industry leading to agreements for the deregulation of imports. At Bridgestone-Firestone she also established the company that managed the All-Road-Hazard-Guarantee.

In 1996 Fayruz moved into the Human Resources Division, managing the three areas of industrial relations, administration and people development. She applied her knowledge of the Psychodynamic school of Psychology to the underpinning dynamics impacting on the management of change.

She served for three years as a full time lecturer at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in the Industrial and Organisational Psychology Department. During this period she completed her Masters degree through UNISA and qualified as a Registered Industrial Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. While at the University she taught on the MBA, Master’s Health and Wellness and Post Graduate Labour Relations programmes as well as being an external examiner.

Building on her foundation in business and academia Fayruz entered the challenging world of consulting. She has worked with the Schuitema content for over 12 years and is Schuitema’s most experienced Associate. In this capacity she has been the lead consultant with a number of Schuitema’s key clients. Fayruz is known for her capability to engage with stakeholders at all levels, her strategic insights and her unique knowledge in the development of a value added business understanding and service excellence culture in an organisation.

Although she travels extensively in her work, she has found the time to be actively engaged in Community Development Projects including both Youth Development and Regional Economic Development. She has worked closely with a number of Non Government Organisations to build their capacity and with various social welfare agencies.

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David April
Masters Degree in Psychology (UWC)
Registered Psychologist with SA Medical & Dental Council

David’s initial vocation was teaching. As an educator he was a school guidance specialist and sports coach in addition to teaching in the humanities at a high school in the Western Cape.

In support of his early interest in the academic development of people he has since lectured in organisational behaviour and been a member of the Academic Board of the South African College for Applied Psychology. He currently also serves as an external examiner on an elective for the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business MBA programme.

In 1996 he qualified as a clinical psychologist, earning his registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. In his capacity as a clinical psychologist he has served in the Military Health Services arm of the South African Defence Forces and been a consultant psychologist supervising the training of intern psychologists at the Student Counseling Centre at his alma mater the University of the Western Cape.

When he was introduced to the Care and Growth model he immediately resonated with its fundamental beliefs and values. He established an enduring associate relationship with Schuitema, becoming a sought after facilitator of its leadership programmes in South Africa.

While doing Schuitema’s leadership work he completed a Professional Coaching Certificate, (PCC), through the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School, which is endorsed by the International Coaching Federation (IFC).

As a Senior Associate with Schuitema he currently contributes his specialist knowledge of psychological health and individual transformation to the training and coaching of executives and managers on an individual and group basis.

His ongoing commitment to promoting wellness on an individual and corporate level is demonstrated by him finding time to participate in the launching of a new South African entity focused on employee wellness.

David is married and has three sons. This mature family stage has allowed him the freedom to travel in his work. He is a keen cyclist and active member in his church community.

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Elmarie Coetzee
MA(SW) Clinical — Unisa, Hons, HRD — UJ

Elmarie grew up on a farm in the northern half of South Africa. Her early life was non complicated – a small town, close community in an Afrikaans environment. Until 2000 she studied in Pretoria and Johannesburg; then she moved to Cape Town.

Her career started with social work doing psychological reports for criminal cases in the regional and family court and family evaluation reports for divorce cases in the higher court. She also did community work in various townships and work with street children. On the back of a Masters Degree in Clinical Health she dedicated herself for several years to family, individual and group therapy.

A further Honours degree in Change Management and Organisational Development propelled her into the corporate world, working for two years for an engineering firm before moving into the financial services industry.

At Momentum (a division of the First Rand Group) she was responsible for all aspects of the company’s Human Resources function; tasked with implementing national people strategies in the Cape region. Subsequently she filled a number of similar roles for another First Rand company, First National Bank, focused on their Branch network in the Western Cape.

Schuitema was working nationally with FNB Branch Banking at the time and Elmarie was selected to be one of the few people in the business accredited to run Schuitema’s core Leadership Programme.

Elmarie decided to leave FNB in 2006 in order to commit more of her time to academic study. She is currently busy with a Doctoral thesis with a focus on Leadership Coaching through the University of Johannesburg.

Schuitema nevertheless approached Elmarie to join their organisation as a trainer / facilitator and consultant. She agreed to do so and has delivered excellent work on Schuitema’s behalf, both in South Africa and Namibia. Combining a fine intellect with inter personal sensitivity and empathy, Elmarie conveys the Care and Growth principles through her training and coaching in a unique manner.

She nevertheless finds the time to run competitively on track and road. She was awarded her National colours in the 800 m and 1500 m (track) as well as 10km (road).

Elmarie is married with two teenage children, the eldest now a student like his mother, but in his chosen field of Electrical Engineering.

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Pam Pretorius
Bachelor of Social Science

Pam was born in East London in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. She grew up in what was referred to as a trading station (general dealer in the rural area) outside a village called Idutywa and spoke Xhosa from a young age. She attended the primary school in Idutywa and went on to a Girls High School in East London. At school she excelled on the sports field playing netball at Provincial level, was a Prefect and Head of House.

Pam continued to compete on the sports field once she left school, representing her University at athletics, netball and hockey and playing netball at Provincial level.

She graduated from the University of Natal with a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree in Industrial Psychology and Sociology. Her entry into the working world was as a Receptionist in a placement company. Within five years she had progressed to an Area Manager position with full profit responsibility for her Area. In this capacity she gained first hand leadership and operations experience, giving her a real understanding of what it takes to lead a team of people tasked with delivering bottom line results.

She further honed her leadership abilities when she worked at Unilever’s soap factory in Durban, firstly as the Site’s Communication Manager and then as its Training and Development Manager. In these roles she helped to prepare the staff of Lever Brothers for the transformation taking place in the South African workplace to a more democratic and fair society.

It was during this period (1987 – 1993) that she had her first taste of the Care and Growth model, working with Etsko Schuitema to develop the leadership ability of the line managers at the Site.

In 1994 she and her husband took a year off, traveling in a Landrover through southern Africa, experiencing life in South Africa’s neighbouring countries.

Back home she joined an Organisational Transformation Consultancy initiating, shaping and implementing transformation processes with stakeholders both within and outside client organisations in South Africa’s private and public sector.

Leaving the corporate world for a second time, Pam and her husband launched their own fly fishing business. Together they built up a range of products and services bringing various aspects of the fly fishing experience to their clients. As business owner Pam handled marketing, new business development, communications and the development of staff.

All the while she kept abreast of developments with the Care and Growth Model she had first been exposed to a decade previously. Finally she joined Schuitema, bringing to the Schuitema team her combined business, frontline leadership and consulting experience.

Pam’s home base is outside Durban where she lives with her husband and three bush cats. She no longer participates in team sports but keeps fit with regular running, yoga and gym. Her special interests include food, entertaining and reading non fiction.

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Saadya Ahmed — Schuitema Pakistan

Saadya Ahmed, a personal transformation lifecoach, is founder of Choice, an organization working throughout Pakistan to transform individuals, strengthen families and communities.

She is currently an associate with Schuitema Pakistan fulfilling both a leading marketing role as well as delivering the CARE AND GROWTH™ leadership model as one of the organisation's local Master Trainers.

Saadya has built her capacity over thirteen years in research, material development, consulting, facilitation, marketing and customer service with KZR, one of Pakistan's leading organisational development consultancies. She has worked with companies like Unilever – Rahim Yar Khan, Crescent Bahuman, bhpbilliton.

Saadya worked as a principal with a private school and as a life coach/mentor. She also does voluntary work with special children.

Shahpur Jamall — Schuitema Pakistan
Masters Degree in Education, UCLA

Shahpur Jamall is a founding member and academic director of Bay View Academy, a leading private school located in Karachi, Pakistan. He currently serves as the Principal at Bay View Academy and at Southshore – a school for A level studies, which he helped to found in 2003. Shahpur is also working with Schuitema Associates to develop an educational application for the CARE AND GROWTH™ model which he believes is the critical intervention for schools today.

Shahpur holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District before moving back to Pakistan 17 years ago when he helped found Bay View Academy. He believes it is the core philosophy of CARE AND GROWTH™ which has enabled Bay View to stand out among schools in Karachi.

Shahpur is also involved with an NGO which is working to transform a low functioning Government school to serve as a model for other government schools in Pakistan.